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Showing luxury condo is fund-raiser for Bonita Elementary, Bonita Charter School

DAVE BREITENSTEIN, Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 3, 2003

Schools are well-versed in showing children how to read, write and become model citizens.

But teachers and parent volunteers at two Bonita Springs schools are learning what it's like to be interior designers, tour guides and wealthy.

Representatives from Bonita Elementary and Bonita Springs Charter School are taking turns showing a luxury condominium located inside of the La Scala tower at The Colony. Coastal Living magazine selected the condo as its 2003 Idea House tower residence, and the two schools signed on as volunteer tour guides that show guests the latest in interior fashion and design, accessories, art, fabric and color schemes.

Guests are encouraged to make a $5 donation that heads directly to the schools. Bonita Elementary and Bonita Charter are rotating months from October through March, showing the home from noon to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

"It's been a pretty good fund-raiser for the schools," said Ken Plonski, vice president of public relations for WCI. "We certainly expect that when the season hits, it will get much busier."

Plonski said the condo has been attracting 120 to 150 guests per weekend. Annette Carbary, volunteer coordinator for Bonita Charter, said volunteers greet guests in the downstairs lobby before bringing them upstairs to view the 12th-floor condo. Each room contains information about the decor, but guests still have questions about who decorated the home, costs and other general items. The one question volunteers won't answer is about what other condos are available at La Scala.

"There are no sales involved," said Carbary, adding that all sales-related questions are referred to WCI.

"It seems like people are coming for ideas to decorate their own homes," said Bonita Elementary teacher Terri Cherkin. "But it's not like a museum or fancy home. It's a coastal living condo, something you would expect from a beach home."

La Scala's 64 units have between 3,500 to 4,000 square feet, with an average cost of $1.6 million. It is The Colony's third high-rise.

Coastal Living has a circulation of about 500,000 and focuses on life along the ocean, gulf and Great Lakes. The Bonita Springs unit was the magazine's first tower home and first Southwest Florida location that Coastal Living has featured.

"They've seen it in the magazine, but want to see the real thing too," Plonski said.

For more information about the Idea House condo, log on to www.coastalliving.com.

Contact Staff Writer Dave Breitenstein at 213-6033 or debreitenstein@naplesnews.com